Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multidirectional switch that selectively closes a switch element by operating a knob to tilt in a predetermined direction.
Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-322981 discloses a multidirectional switch that selectively closes a switch element in a housing by operating a knob to tilt in a predetermined direction.
FIGS. 9A, 9B, 9C illustrate a primary part of a conventional multidirectional switch, wherein FIG. 9A is an exploded perspective view thereof.
The multidirectional switch is provided with movable contacts 102 that are respectively attached to support parts 101 of an elastic support member 100. When the support part 101 is pressed and moved by a bar-like operating member 103 that advances/retreats in cooperation with an operation of a knob, the movable contact 102 supported to the support part 101 makes contact with/is separated from a fixed contact 105 that is provided on a surface of a print substrate 104.
In the print substrate 104, the fixed contact 105 comprises a plurality of fixed contacts that are provided at regular intervals in a circumferential direction around a reference axis X of the knob, and are arranged in a ring shape as viewed in an axial direction of the reference axis X.
The movable contacts 102 and the operating members 103 respectively are also provided at regular intervals in the circumferential direction around the reference axis X of the knob, and arranged in a ring shape as viewed in the axial direction of the reference axis X.
Therefore when the knob is operated to tilt in a predetermined direction to cause the operating member 103 positioned in the operating direction of the knob to move in the axial direction of the reference axis X, the movable contact 102 of the support member 101 pressed by the moved operating member 103 makes contact with the fixed contact 105 (see FIG. 9B).
Here, in a case where the respective operating members 103 are provided independently from each other, since assembling performance of the multidirectional switch is deteriorated, each of the operating members 103 is connected to the two, other operating members 103 adjacent thereto in the circumferential direction of the reference axis X through thin plate-shaped connecting elements 106 and 107.
However, in a case where the operating members 103 adjacent with each other in the circumferential direction of the reference axis X are simply connected, when one operating member 103 moves in the axial direction of the reference axis X, there are some cases where another operating member 103 adjacent to the moved operating member 103 is pulled, therefore moving in the same direction with the moved operating member 103.
In this case, in addition to the movable contact 102 that should be originally contacted, there are some cases where the other movable contact 102 adjacent to this movable contact 102 also makes contact with the corresponding fixed contact 105. To avoid this problem, in a case of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-322981, one connecting element 107 of the connecting elements 106 and 107 is made longer. Therefore when one operating member 103 moves, another operating member 103 adjacent thereto does not move following this moved operating member 103.
Here, since a radial size of the multidirectional switch is limited, the connecting element 107 is diverted at the reference axis X side for ensuring the length, and the adjacent operating members 103 are connected to each other. Therefore the connecting element 107 is formed in a substantially V-letter shape as axially viewed, and a sharp bent part 107a of the connecting element 107 is positioned in the vicinity to the reference axis X.
Here, when the multidirectional switch is designed such that a recessed click groove is disposed in the center of a polar board (not illustrated) that supports the print substrate, and a click pin extending from the knob is engaged to the click groove on the reference axis to create the click feeling in the tilting operation of the knob, a click groove 108 results in being arranged in a position shown in a virtual line in FIG. 9C, for example.
With this arrangement of the click groove 108, the bent part 107a of the connecting element 107 projecting toward the reference axis X interferes with the click groove 108.
In this case, for avoiding interference with the click groove 108, it is considered to shorten the connecting element 107 for suppressing the projecting amount thereof to the reference axis X side. However, when one operating member 103 is operated to move in a state where the connecting element 107 is made short, it is not possible to prevent another operating member 103 adjacent thereto from moving following the movement of the one operating member 103. Therefore there is a possibility that the movable contact 102 that is not expected to be contacted makes contact with the corresponding fixed contact 105.
In addition, it is considered to extend the connecting element 107 outward in the radial direction, but in this case, the multidirectional switch is radially increased in size.
Therefore, it is required to provide a multidirectional switch that is provided with a click mechanism on a reference axis of a knob while preventing a switch element from closing in error and preventing the multidirectional switch from radially increasing in size.